Hands-on Learning Archives - Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

A Simple Way To Make Introducing Plant Classification Fun

October 11, 2019 By Heather Pleier

Make introducing plant classification fun and interest-led with a simple smartphone app. Learn how the Seek app makes it fun and easy to explore plant life.

Written by Heather Pleier of Wonderschooling.

In education, we tend to do things backward. We want to start with the book – with the head knowledge – and then, once they’re ready, give our kids a chance to try it out, to experience whatever they’ve learned.

We save the fun for last.

That’s a terrible idea. To learn something, we need two things: context and interest.

A Simple Way To Make Introducing Plant Classification Fun

While it’s great to provide background knowledge (and structure and rules as needed for safety), most people learn most effectively through experience. Then we can apply that learning to the larger picture of the textbook or unit study.

This summer, my kids and I worked on plant classification in a rather unorthodox way. We used an app on my smartphone. [Read more…]

90’s Boy Bands: The Hot New Curriculum for Homeschoolers

September 26, 2019 By Guest Author

You don’t need to know how to play music to teach guitar in your home school. Moosiko makes learning guitar fun and easy for you and your children.

The following sponsored guest post was written by Dan Mascola, founder of Moosiko.

Okay, maybe they don’t want to learn 90’s boy bands, but I’ll bet your kids want to learn guitar! Moosiko is a new online guitar learning platform. It teaches beginners how to play their favorite songs and build skills on guitar. You can get in on the fun, too, and learn with your students.

Moosiko Online Guitar Lessons for Homeschool

Benefits of Music Instruction

Learning an instrument should be required for any middle or high school (homeschooled or not) curriculum. The benefits of playing music far outweigh the investment. [Read more…]

Harry Potter Homeschooling: Magical Lessons for Potter Fans

September 18, 2019 By Chelsea Gonzales

Have you got a Harry Potter fan in your home? Capitalize on the interest with Chelsea’s Harry Potter homeschooling ideas worthy of Hogwarts.

Written by Chelsea Gonzales of Wonder Wherever We Wander.

Recently, my husband and I have had the pleasure of introducing the Harry Potter book series to our son. We are both huge Potter fans and have been anxiously awaiting the day our kid could finally join the fandom fun. Fortunately, the seven-year-old is just as crazy about the series as we are, making storytime incredibly fun for the whole family.

Because of my son’s newfound interest in all things Wizarding World, I have been brainstorming ways to tie the magical world of Potter into our schooling. We are pretty laid-back homeschoolers. Some might even go so far as to call us unschoolers. That said, I can’t resist a good project that captures the interest of the whole family, and Harry Potter projects are sure to do just that.

Harry Potter Homeschooling: Magical Lessons for Potter Fans

Harry Potter Homeschooling Ideas

Below are a few of the Harry Potter homeschooling I’ve come up with so far. We plan to dive into these in the coming weeks, and I hope some of you can do the same, making your lessons just a little bit more magical. [Read more…]

National Park Adventures with Kids: 6 Ways to Make the Most of Them

July 11, 2019 By Chelsea Gonzales

U.S. National Parks feature stunning educational landscapes for kids to explore. Try these tips to make the most of your family’s national park adventures.

Written by Chelsea Gonzales of Wonder Wherever We Wander.

Easily some of the most amazing resources our beautiful country has to offer are its national parks. From beaches to mountains, U.S. national parks feature dozens of stunning and diverse landscapes to explore.

Unfortunately, far too many people are entirely unaware of the magic and beauty hiding in these natural wonderlands. So, they never even think to go check out our national parks. Even those people who do have some idea what these spaces have to offer sometimes don’t visit out as often as they should.

This failure to make the most of America’s national parks is a disservice to kids (and adults!) who could be learning a multitude of amazing lessons from visiting these places.

6 Ways to Make the Most of National Park Adventures with Kids

From geology to history, national parks present a wide assortment of lesson topics. This variety makes them ideal places for homeschoolers of all ages to learn, explore, and discover.

For this reason, I highly recommend planning at least a few trips to national parks this summer and into the coming school year. As a regular park visitor, I’d like to offer my tips for ensuring your adventures go over without a hitch. [Read more…]

How To Teach History Without a Textbook: 12 Ideas To Get You Started!

June 28, 2019 By Adrienne Bolton

If you want to have a little more fun with your history lessons, try these 12 engaging ideas to teach history without a textbook.

Written by Adrienne Bolton of The Mommy Mess.

Without a doubt, the homeschooling question I hear most often – even more than the socialization one – is, “What curriculum do you use?”

Why? I don’t know. It doesn’t seem like an especially exciting topic. Maybe it’s a conversation starter like the PetSmart cashier I overheard recently. He was asking every customer, “What kind of {fill in the blank with the appropriate species based on the products the customer was purchasing} do you have?”

And, of course, it worked because people love to talk about their babies.

Maybe it’s just the first thing people think of to ask when they’re wondering what in the heck you’ve gotten yourself into.

How do you do this thing called homeschooling?

For nearly 12 years, my answer has always been the same, “We use a hodgepodge of stuff depending on the subject.”

How to Teach History Without a Textbook

Over the years, we’ve used a variety of resources to cover each subject, but history is by far my favorite when it comes to tossing the textbook! [Read more…]